


Free wi-fi

by novastars



Category: Phandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Phan - Freeform, Phanfiction, coffee shop fluff, has this been done? probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 22:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2405297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novastars/pseuds/novastars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil works behind the counter and Dan mostly comes in for the free Wi-Fi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free wi-fi

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing phanfiction so thank you so much for reading! Comments would be welcome :)
> 
> I'm 80% sure that this au has probably been done before but I haven't seen it yet so please don't hate.

Phil snorted quietly under his breath as the door to the small coffee shop was pushed open and low and behold; it was the tall guy _again_. It was the fourth time that day that this stranger had passed through that door. Phil knew this only because he kept a secret score on how many times this strange guy would turn up during his shift.

  
  
It had started a couple months back, when Phil had begun to notice that this stranger was a constant figure in the corner of his eye, his head always buried in a laptop or his phone. Phil had yet to see this guy (who he often referred to as ‘ _tall laptop man’_ ) order or buy _anything_ from the coffee shop.

  
  
The Coffee Hut had an _‘order something or get out’_ policy.

  
Phil had yet to report tall laptop man to his boss.

 

He wasn’t entirely sure why he allowed this stranger to sit in the same corner every hour of the day, obviously taking advantage of their new free Wi-Fi that had been added around the same time he started turning up.  
  
He fondly remembered the astounding moment when the man had put his hand in his backpack only to reveal a Mac charger, which he promptly plugged in to the _conveniently_ located power point and continued to abuse their free of charge internet. None of the other workers seemed to notice tall laptop man, which left Phil with a burning obligation to tell their manager of this man’s crimes. But every time he even _began_ to muster up the courage to do so, he disappeared.  
  
  
 Maybe it was because Phil didn’t _really_ like confrontation and his boss was a terrifying woman whose nostrils flared to the size of coins when angered.  
  
  
Or maybe it was because once, just once. Tall laptop man had caught one of his flickering glances and _held it_. A smile splitting his face, crinkling his eyes and revealing dimples. A light blush painting his cheeks that seemed to say ‘ _shit you caught me, now what are you going to do about it?_ ’ Phil’s lips twisted into a small smile, swallowing his complaints and returned back to the large espresso steaming on the counter. A small voice in his mind almost begged his eyes to return back to tall laptop man, but the swooping feeling in his stomach was causing his own cheeks to redden far too much to his liking.  
  
Either way, Phil wasn’t saying anything to the boss. And so tall laptop man frequented the Coffee Hut more often, yet his eyes never wandered back to him again.  
  
So Phil continued to wipe down and around the register, focusing more than what he should have on the coffee stains that splattered the counter. It was a grey day in London today, the clouds were dark yet no rain littered the skies which left the city with an oddly claustrophobic sense, as though the clouds that were so heavily laden with water were pressing in on them.  
  
The Coffee Hut however was a cosy light in the dim weather, the aroma of the coffee beans and freshly baked muffins filling his belly with a warm glow.  
  
It was disheartening to think of how terribly _gloomy_ his apartment would be at the end of this shift.  
  
It was with small relief that a throng of customers pushed through the door, casting tall laptop man out of his mind as he focused on the task at hand. He gave the appropriate smiles and the rehearsed battle cry of _“Hi, how are you? What would you like to order from the Coffee Hut today?”_  
His feet pattered hastily on the tiled floors as he hurried to get their arrangement of; coffees, hot chocolates and buns to the indifferent people who observed his every move.  
  
 He was the only worker in the Coffee Hut that day, not really due to the laziness of his co-worker but that Phil had forced him to go home and recover from the spout of flu he had caught.  
  
  
He didn’t mind working alone so much but he wished the customers would be more understanding.  
  
  
His voice was a mere squeak as he apologized again and again to the middle aged women he had spilt milk on, her eyes burning a hole in him as he finished wiping the liquid up. His cheeks were red and he was sure he felt his voice stammer out another _“Oh my god I’m so sorry!”_ as he slipped against the floor and nearly resulted in more milk spillage-ry.  
  
 Phil was feeling pretty sodden with embarrassment up until the moment he heard a scoff from the corner of the coffee shop.  
  
Anger burned hot in his belly as he turned his gaze to the person he already knew to be tall laptop man (since when did he begin to keep tabs on where this man sat?) and glared, eyes narrowing as he saw how evidently his amusement heightened upon seeing Phil’s reaction. His heart dropped and he grumbled muttered complaints all the way to the sink.  
  
His frustrated mumbles were soft as he angrily wringed the milk out the wash cloth a bit more violently than he should have. After all, the wash cloth had not _scoffed_ at his embarrassment. In fact, the wash cloth had been helpful in _cleaning_ _up_ his milk catastrophe.  
  
He grumbled some more as he continued to compare tall laptop man to the wash cloth that was now free of milk, yet for some reason his hands continued wringing it out over the sink. He gently placed it back near the dishes that still needed to be washed, walking back to the main counter feeling as though all of his frustrations were gone.  
  
That was until his eyes landed on _him_ again.  
  
Tall laptop man was staring at him; actually _staring_ at him. As though all those days spent seemingly ignoring Phil’s presence never existed and he found that being _noticed_ by tall laptop man was just as pleasant as before.  
  
Tall laptop man lowered his laptop screen, Phil had previously never thought that he had the capability to do that, more or less so to look at _him_. He seemed to be fighting the urge to smile, his fingers tapping the laptop lightly and a pleased glint shining in his eyes. He ignored the fumbling in his stomach and narrowed his eyes back at him, extending the effort as tall laptop man’s smile evolved into a full dimple-denting, eye-crinkling grin.

Phil pointedly ignored tall laptop man, instead forcing himself through the awkwardness and offering the middle aged woman a bagel as an apology for the _milk incident_ , his voice going an octave higher as she promptly refused and walked out.

 The _ding_ of the door ringing through the now achingly silent shop would have been the only noise that accompanied the episode if not for _another_ snort of laughter from the man who was now hiding behind his mac laptop screen.  
  
Phil fixed his fringe in frustration; he could almost feel the weight of tall laptop man’s flickering gaze on him as he went back to the counter and put the bagel back where it belonged. He was thinking that he may be able to sneak the baked good back home when he accidentally glanced at tall laptop man.

 It _was_ an accident, of that Phil is certain, as he really had been thinking of his masterful plan of getting the bagel into his backpack without the customers noticing. But looked up in time to see him stretching his back and it was in that one subtle motion that Phil saw a glimpse of the pale skin of his abdomen. Once again his cheeks reddened more than he liked them to, certainly when he should be concentrating on the baked delight that was the bagel.  
  
Sighing none to quietly, he served the next customer with a little less cheer but beamed brightly at the little girl dressed as a Cinderella. Pride expanded his chest at the endearing smile he earned from the mother when he told her she was a very pretty princess.

 It was only after watching the mother and daughter walk (the little girl skipped) to their seats, that he realized tall laptop man was looking at him once again. Phil felt a little confused at the inscrutable emotion that flashed on his face but he was glad that he did not scoff again.

 Phil wasn’t so sure he could handle another snide laugh after the stress of dealing with that middle aged lady.  


* * *

 

The strong aroma of coffee filled the air as he began to make another brew, always wary of another throng of customers no matter how quiet or slow business may seem. He didn’t so much as groan as yet another splash of the hot liquid splattered his work shirt.

The fabric was already slowly turning into a leopard print made entirely of various coffee and tea stains. He briefly considered asking his mother how to get them out but quickly remembered the advantages of google and the fact that no one besides him (and maybe tall laptop man, whose eyes were now constantly flickering between him and the laptop screen) would know of his failure.  
  
It was getting late, the dim light of the London day gradually dulling down to the blanketed darkness of night. The mother and daughter joyfully said goodbye to him, the Cinderella-clad girl throwing him an extra big toothy smile as her little hand waved wildly from side to side. He glanced at his phone and saw with relief that he only had little more than an hour to go on his shift, yet that relief soured slightly at the thought of his currently heater-less apartment and how bitter that night was sure to be.  
  
He was so caught up in his musings, eyes still trained on his phone that he did not see or feel the presence at the front of the counter.  
  
Phil recoiled with a jolt, narrowly missing hitting the fake jars of coffee and sugar that decorated the counter top.  
  
The room was silent for a heartbeat, tall laptop man and Phil being the only ones in the coffee shop. Tall laptop man seemed to be waiting for something, a smile creeping on his face that made Phil hesitantly say the usual

_“Hi, how are you? What would you like to order from the Coffee Hut today?”_

(Now that he thinks about it, this man had probably heard him say that every minute of every day he spent in here)

Somehow the informal address felt wrong, yet Phil really did not know this man; not even enough to know what it was he _did_ on that laptop of his in here, more or less his name.  
  
Tall laptop man gave him another small smile, his eyes focused on the counter  instead of him as he returned the greeting  
“Hi”  
His voice was surprisingly soft, Phil was strangely pleased that he now had a voice to put to the face yet still waited a bit uncomfortably for him to place his order.

Another second passed, meeting his eyes almost shyly as he asked  
“Could I have a macchiato and that bagel that woman refused?”  
  
Annoyance fluttered briefly inside of him at the gloomy thought of not being able to bring the bagel home, but that soon passed as he met his eyes.  
 “That’ll be £6.63” he answered routinely, ignoring the tingle that pulsed throughout him the moment their hands brushed against the other as he handed him the money.  
  
The pressure to talk was mounting to extreme heights as Phil left the counter to make the macchiato, taking a bit longer than necessary to make sure it was made properly. He placed the bagel on the plate with a little more force than what was needed, earning a questioning look from tall laptop man but he brushed it aside and handed him his order.  
  
“Thanks, man” he smiled at him again, and Phil hated how fond he was getting over this stranger’s happy mouth movements.  
  
He had a smile that warmed up an entire room.

The shop was enveloped in silence again, the other man blowing on the hot drink and Phil determinedly cleaning up the machinery, refusing to acknowledge that unfamiliar yet familiar feeling that filled him so.  
  
To his dismay, he didn’t jump at all when tall laptop man finally broke the silence, since when had Phil gotten so used to his presence?  
  
“What’s your name?” his voice was so nonchalant about it, as though they were old friends discussing good times spent together and not complete strangers alone in a coffee shop.  
 “My name’s Phil” he answered, smiling plainly before returning to wiping down the counter, which had somehow managed to get soiled _again_.  
  
There was a long pause, the other man nodded silently as though considering this new information but the silence was getting a bit uncomfortable for Phil.  
  
“And what’s your name?” Something in his voice must have sounded sharp, for tall laptop mans face fell the moment he was snapped out of his daze. His cheeks reddened slightly and Phil found with an odd fascination that his dimples appeared when he was embarrassed as well.  
  
“I ugh sorry – got lost in um thought I – “ He laughed uneasily and took a sip from his coffee.

Tall laptop man was awkward. Go figure.  
  
Phil smiled warmly at him to let him know that it was okay, and also maybe to make himself seem like less of a prick.  
  
“Oh god I sound like I’m having a stroke. My name’s Dan”

  
It was strangely nice to now have a voice _and_ a name to go to this mysterious man that sat in the shop multiple times a day.  
  
 “Nice to properly meet you Dan, never thought I’d see you outside of that computer” he joked uneasily, not very sure how to handle having a conversation with ‘Dan’.  To his delight, Dan laughed, shrugging his narrow shoulders and grinning guiltily at him  
  
“Yeah sorry about that – if you can’t tell my internet is down at my apartment” his eyes were bright, as though he was happy to be guilty of exhausting their free Wi-Fi.

 “Ha yeah I didn’t think it was for the coffee – how is it by the way? I’d hate your first coffee here to be a disgrace” It was easy to talk and joke with Dan, who was now making a show of drinking the macchiato and mockingly judging it.  
  
“Hmm I’d have to say it’s pretty good” Dan’s face split into another one of those warm grins, fingers tracing the mug lightly.  
Phil couldn’t really explain the pride that filled him at the compliment, he knew his hot drinks were good, but somehow hearing it from Dan was better than hearing it from his mum. Phil couldn’t explain any of that. So don’t ask.

“Oh good, so now you won’t come here just for the internet?” the question was careless, Phil fixating on one smudge of hot chocolate that refused to budge.  
  
 “I didn’t just come here for the free Wi-Fi” Dan’s voice was muttered on the coffee scented air, he froze slightly, the wash cloth in his hand stopping in its ferocious assault on the stain.  
  
 “Do you want some of this bagel? I saw you eyeing it off like all day” Dan continued, nothing in his voice letting on that he had implied anything else.  
  
Phil mentally shook himself free of the shock and glanced again at his phone, somehow the two had dwindled half an hour away and a deep grumble in Phil’s stomach let him know that he was high in need for some food. 

He hesitantly left the wash cloth alone on the counter, walking over to Dans corner with a grateful  
“That’d be great, thanks!”  
  
He sat himself down and watched silently as Dan’s long finger separated the bagel and seemed to grudgingly give him the bigger half.  
“Horrible weather isn’t it” Dan said absentmindedly around a mouth full of bagel magic.  
  
Phil nodded enthusiastically, thinking back to his cold apartment as he took another bite.  
 “Yeah I know and my heaters broken, can you believe it? I always have the _worst_ timing in the world” Phil shook his head in a mock disgust, Dan laughed before taking a deep gulp from the slowly emptying cup  
  
(Phil tried not to follow the movement of his throat, he really did)

* * *

 

The coffee and bagel had long since perished into their respecting stomachs. The small talk from there on out was pretty average, but Phil enjoyed it nonetheless; perhaps a little more than he should have.

 It was only 15 minutes to go until he could leave when he finally asked the question that had been bothering him for quite some time  
  
“What is it you do on that laptop every day in here?” Phil rested his head on his hand, giving Dan his full attention to which Dan smiled fondly at him.  
 “Oh you know a bit of this and that, I really need to get it done but this place isn’t open tomorrow is it?” His face falls with just the _right_ amount of disappointment and sadness that later on Phil often wonders if he planned it this way himself.  
  
There was a pause, Phil thought carefully about what he was about to say, yet he liked Dan. He liked him a lot more than he should for somebody he just met and he was almost 100% certain that he wasn’t an axe murderer sent to kill him.  
  
“You know I have internet at my place, you could always stay the night although there isn’t much heating and all I really know how to cook is hot drinks and – “  
  
he was stammering, his lips fumbling over the shapes of each word as Dan watched on with a thoughtful smile.  
  
 “Really? That would be amazing, Phil holy crap that would be perfect”  
  
It was time to close up the shop, which Phil did under the watchful eyes of Dan who joked about stealing all the coffee beans and selling them on the black market. Bashfully he told Dan that he didn’t have a car, only to find out with too much excitement that Dan didn’t have a car either.  
  
The two caught a taxi to Phil’s apartment building, the only part of the conversation he only really remembered was Dan’s moment of guilty joy wherein he admitted once again

  
  
“You know, I didn’t only go there for the free Wi-Fi”  
  
to which Phil clearly replied.  
  
 “I know”

 

He found Dan’s smile warmed up his apartment in a way his heater never did.


End file.
